Children Have Imagination Friends | I'm Healthy

Have you ever seen your little one talking to someone while playing alone or mentioned having a friend named A, even though there was no friend named A? Don't immediately panic or worry that your little one sees a ghost, okay? The reason is, at the age of 2.5 years, it is natural for children to have imaginary friends. Come on, check out more info!

When Do Children Have Imaginary Friends?

Imaginary friends are imaginary friends made by children based on their imagination. The form is not only in human form, but can be in various shapes and sizes, for example animals, characters in story books, dolls, and so on.

The appearance of imaginary friends also varies, depending on the mood or your little one's imagination. There are those who, according to the Little One, are always present to accompany him, some only appear at certain times or locations, some have names or not at all.

Children have imaginary friends is a normal thing in their growth and development. “Children's imagination begins to develop at the age of 2.5-3 years. They also began to like to play roles. As many as 65% of children have 1 or 2 imaginary friends," says Susan Newman, Ph.D., social psychologist and author The Case for the Only Child: Your Essential Guide.

There is no age limit when the Little One will stop playing with his imaginary friends. However, most of his imaginary friends will disappear when he begins to make friends with his peers.

Laura Markham, Ph.D. D., author Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, explains that her daughter no longer plays with her imaginary friend when they move house to another city.

“When I asked about Betsy, my daughter said her imaginary friend stayed in Michigan. Most imaginary friends will disappear when childhood passes," he explained.

In some cases, imaginary friends don't completely disappear from children's memories, it's just that they don't talk about them anymore. If your little one falls into this category, you don't have to worry about something wrong with him, right? In fact, there are some people who still choose to keep memories of their imaginary friends until they grow up.

Why Do Children Have Imaginary Friends?

Maybe there are parents who think their children have imaginary friends because they are lonely. There are also those who are afraid that this indicates the child has mental problems. However, that's just a myth, yes, Mums.

Friends of imagination actually have their own function, namely:

• Listen and support your little one.


• Accompany your little one to play.


• Can do things little ones can't.


• Special only for the little ones.


• Don't judge or blame your little one.

Children will have complete control over the actions of their imaginary friends. That's why your little one considers his imaginary friend a special friend. Your little one will feel that he can imagine freely with his friends. They can be cops, play cooking, fly through the sky, and so on. When your little one plays with their imaginary friends, Mums can learn a lot about themselves. Starting from what he thinks, feels, likes, and doesn't like.

Until now, there has been no research showing the relationship between having imaginary friends and children's IQ. But in some research, said Dr. Markham, children who have imaginary friends are said to be more skilled at seeing an issue from another person's perspective.

While Dr. Newman added, a study of preschoolers written by Jerome Singer, Yale emeritus of phsychology, and research assistant Dorothy Singer, found that children who have imaginary friends tend to be more imaginative, have more vocabulary, are easier to entertain themselves. , and easy to mingle with his school friends.

Regarding mental problems, until now there has been no evidence that children who have imaginary friends experience mental problems. “This is different from Dissociative Identity Disorder or having multiple personalities, which is a very rare case. Children who have imaginative friends will grow up to be creative and imaginative adults,” explained Dr. Marhkam.

When to Worry?

Even if your child has an imaginary friend as part of their growth journey, you need to be careful if:

1. Asked to do anything for his imaginary friend

Mums may be asked by your little one to do some things for his imaginary friend. Instead of doing it, you can encourage your little one to do it himself. That way, your little one's skills to do many things will also develop.

2. Talking through his imaginary friend

There are some children who insist on discussing with their imaginary friends at every opportunity. For example, when Mums tells her to donate her toys, she says to ask her imaginary friend first. If that happens, say firmly, but still gently, that you want to know his opinion, not the opinion of his imaginary friend.

3. Blaming his imaginary friend

Sometimes children will refuse when he is caught doing something wrong for fear of being scolded. As a result, it is his imaginary friend who will be the Little One's scapegoat. The trick to overcoming this is to tell your little one that an imaginary friend won't do that. Then, continue to discipline your little one regarding the mistakes he made.

Lastly, of course, if your instincts feel that something is wrong with your little one, don't hesitate to consult a doctor or an expert. After all, the mother's instincts are very strong and should not be ignored.

Reference

Good Housekeeping: Why Do Children Have Imaginary Friends, and How Far Do You Have to Play Along?

Raising Children: Imaginary friends

What to Expect: Imaginary Friends and Toddlers

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